JP2017530896A - Driver support system using inertial sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus configured to adjust a processing function of image data for a vehicle control system. The apparatus includes an image sensor configured to capture image data corresponding to a field of view. The image sensor communicates with a controller, and the controller further communicates with an inertial sensor. The controller is operable to receive image data from the image sensor and to receive a direction signal from the inertial sensor. The direction signal can be utilized to identify the direction of gravity relative to the image sensor.

Description

  The present disclosure relates to vehicle object detection for driving enhancement.

  In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus configured to adjust a processing function of image data for a vehicle control system. The apparatus comprises an image sensor configured to capture image data corresponding to the field of view. The image sensor communicates with the controller, which further communicates with the inertial sensor. The controller is operable to receive image data from the image sensor and to receive a direction signal from the inertial sensor. The direction signal can be utilized to identify the direction of gravity relative to the image sensor.

  The controller is operable to initiate a function configured to scan image data for at least one characteristic of the target vehicle. Based on the direction signal, the controller is operable to offset the origin of the field of view of the image data and generate an adjusted origin. The adjusted base point is then used to improve at least one processing function of the controller to identify the characteristics of the image data. Various embodiments described herein may provide improved systems and methods that are configured to effectively and accurately identify a target vehicle.

 These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

It is an environmental view of a host vehicle provided with an intelligent headlight system.

It is a figure explaining the shift | offset | difference of the base point of the image data received from the intelligent headlight system.

It is an environmental view of the host vehicle approaching from the top of the hill.

This is an environmental view of the host vehicle approaching the valley.

3 is a graphic display of accelerometer measurements.

3 is a graphic display of accelerometer measurements.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a controller configured to control an intelligent headlight system.

  For the purposes of this document, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “rear”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and their derivatives Is related to the device as directed in FIG. 1A. However, it is understood that the apparatus may take on a variety of different orientations and steps, unless explicitly specified otherwise. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. . Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise in the claims, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered limiting. .

  Referring to FIG. 1A, an operating environment 10 for the controller 12 is shown. The controller 12 may be operable to output at least one control signal for one or more systems, eg, a driver assistance system. In the exemplary embodiment, the driver assistance system may correspond to headlight system 14. As discussed with reference to the headlight system 14, the controller 12 outputs one or more control signals for the vehicle system, including but not limited to a lane departure warning system, a collision detection system, a vehicle guidance system, and the like. Can be used to

  The headlight system 14 is configured to adjust an illumination pattern, such as a high beam or a low beam of each of the plurality of headlamps 16 of the host vehicle 18. The controller 12 is in communication with the image sensor 20 configured to capture data corresponding to the field of view 22. Based on the data, the controller 12 is operable to detect at least one characteristic 24 corresponding to the target vehicle 26. In response to detecting the at least one characteristic 24, the controller 12 is configured to control the illumination pattern of the plurality of headlamps 16. In this manner, the headlight system 14 is operable to limit the flash 28 directed to the target vehicle 26 while at the same time ensuring that the ambient lighting 10 from the host vehicle 18 is maintained safely.

  The feature 24 used to identify the target vehicle 26 may refer to a light source, such as one or more headlamps, tail lamps, travel lamps, and the like. The controller 12 is operable to detect the target vehicle 26 by identifying at least one feature 24 and further identifying movement and / or behavior of the at least one feature 24 over time. The movement of the at least one feature 24 may be determined based on the relative position of the feature 24 in the series of image data corresponding to the temporal period. For example, the controller 12 is operable to identify a plurality of target headlamps 30 of the target vehicle 26 based on the relative positions of the target headlamps 30 in the series of image data.

  The controller 12 may further identify the target headlamp 30 based on their position in the field of view 22. Based on the position of the target headlamp 30 or at least one feature 24 in the field of view 22 and the corresponding movement, the controller 12 determines whether the at least one feature 24 matches a target vehicle 26 or a non-target light source. Is operable to determine In some embodiments, the controller 12 may improve the detection of the feature 24 and / or ensure that the target vehicle 26 can be consistently and accurately identified with the field of view 22 and / or the origin of the field of view 22. It is also operable to adjust the processing window for image data that matches the horizontal line.

  Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the controller 12 is operable to identify the hill instant slope 31 of the operating environment 10 to improve detection of at least one feature 24. Furthermore, the detection may provide the headlight system 14 with filtering data from the image sensor 20 corresponding to the field of view 22 to limit false detections. A false detection can match a non-target light source, as discussed herein. Based on the inclination of the operating environment 10, the controller 12 adjusts the substantially horizontal or base point 32 of the image data 33 of the image sensor 20 and / or the image data 33 to efficiently identify the target vehicle 26. It is configured to adjust the processing window 34. In this way, the controller 12 can improve the efficiency and accuracy of detecting the target vehicle 26.

  In one exemplary embodiment, controller 12 communicates with inertial sensor 72 (FIG. 3). The inertial sensor can be incorporated into the headlight system 14 or through one or more inputs to the controller 12 from any vehicle system that includes an inertial sensor as discussed herein. 14 can be communicated. In some embodiments, the controller 12 is further communicable with a lane departure warning system or any form of driver assistance system operable to assist in the operation of the vehicle (eg, collision detection, vehicle guidance, etc.), and Or may be combined. In such an embodiment, the origin 32 and / or processing window 34 of the field of view 22 may be similarly adjusted by the controller 12 in response to signals received from the inertial sensor 72. A block diagram of headlight system 14 in communication with inertial sensor 72 and controller 12 will be discussed with reference to FIG.

  Inertial sensor 72 may correspond to various devices that may be configured to measure and / or track the direction of host vehicle 18 relative to the direction of gravity. For example, the inertial sensor 72 can be an accelerometer, gyroscope, inertial measurement unit (IMU), and other sensors that can be operable to generate measurements that can be utilized to determine the orientation of the host vehicle 18; It can correspond to. The accelerometer may correspond to a multi-axis accelerometer configured to measure the acceleration of the host vehicle along multiple axes. The output from the accelerometer can provide a signal to the controller 12 so that the controller 12 can determine the directional acceleration of the host vehicle 18 and provides a direction of gravity to determine the direction of the host vehicle 18. can do.

  The gyroscope may be configured to measure the rotation of the host vehicle 18. The gyroscope can communicate with the controller 12 and can be configured to output a signal that communicates direction based on a change in rotational speed of the host vehicle 18. The signal from the gyroscope may require some filtering and calibration or offset, but may provide a solid indication of the orientation of the host vehicle 18. In this way, the controller can use the gyroscope to determine the rotation or direction of the host vehicle 18 so that the host vehicle 18 is on a hill, running in a valley, or in any direction. You can identify whether you are heading.

  In some embodiments, the inertial sensor 72 may be incorporated into a vehicle accessory. Some accessories may include a rear view display device 36, an overhead console interface, a side mirror, and various other host vehicle 18 devices. In one exemplary embodiment, the inertial sensor 72 may be incorporated into the rear view display 36 and / or the mirror image sensor 20. The controller 12 may be operable to calibrate and / or offset the measured value of the inertial sensor 72 based on the particular orientation of the rear view display device 36. The calibration can adjust (align) the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18 with respect to the direction of gravity 40. In this way, the controller 12 can constantly monitor the direction of gravity 40 relative to the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18.

  When the direction and / or rotation of the host vehicle 18 is specified by the controller 12, the controller 12 can process image data from the image sensor 20 using information on the direction of the host vehicle 18. For example, the controller 12 may offset a processing window of image data or a part of the image data based on the direction information. In this way, the controller 12 can process the image data from the image sensor 20 to efficiently and accurately identify objects in the image data. The controller 12 may improve efficiency and accuracy by processing image data that is likely to include at least one target object based on the direction information.

  In some embodiments, the inertial sensor 72 may correspond to a hybrid device that includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope, such as, for example, an IMU. In such embodiments, the hybrid accelerometer / gyroscope may further provide improved accuracy in determining the orientation of the host vehicle 18. In such embodiments, the accelerometer may be utilized by the controller 12 to determine when the host vehicle 18 is accelerating. The accelerometer can also be used to calculate the direction of the angle of the host vehicle 18 based on gravity. In addition, the controller may utilize direction information from the gyroscope to determine the rotation of the host vehicle 18 relative to the calibration / offset. In this way, noise can be removed from direction information or acceleration signals from speedometers and gyroscopes to accurately identify speed changes and rotation changes of the host vehicle 18.

  In some embodiments, the inertial sensor 72 may be incorporated into a vehicle accessory. Some accessories may include a rear view display device 36, an overhead console interface, a side mirror, and various other host vehicle 18 devices. In one exemplary embodiment, the inertial sensor 72 may be incorporated into the rear view display 36 and / or the mirror image sensor 20. The controller 12 calibrates the acceleration measurement of the inertial sensor 72 and / or based on the specific direction of the rear view display 36 to adjust the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18 relative to the direction of gravity 40. It may be operable to offset. In this way, the controller 12 can constantly monitor the direction of gravity 40 relative to the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18.

  With further reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, based on the data or image data corresponding to the field of view 22, the controller 12 includes a target vehicle 26 and a plurality of non-target objects that may respond to false detection of an approaching vehicle. Are operable to distinguish between. Non-target objects may correspond to any object that can be identified near the road on which the host vehicle 18 is running, such as signs, traffic signals, street lights, reflectors, headlamp reflections, and the like. The controller 12 at least partially adjusts the position of the horizon and / or origin 32 and adjusts the processing window 34 in which the target vehicle 26 can be detected in the field of view 22 to detect non-target objects or target vehicles. It is operable to limit 26 inaccurate detections.

  By adjusting the processing window 34 of the field of view 22, the image data scanned by the controller 12 is limited and / or prioritized, and the target vehicle 26 and any approach based on the orientation or direction of gravity relative to the host vehicle 18. The incoming vehicle can be focused on the expected data. By adjusting the base point 32 of the field of view 22 and / or adjusting the processing window 34, the controller 12 scans the image data to efficiently and accurately identify features corresponding to the approaching vehicle. Thus, for example, various driver assistance systems such as the headlight system 14 of the host vehicle 18 can be controlled. By adjusting the processing window 34 and / or the base point 32, the controller 12 operates to determine the most relevant portion of the image data 33 to scan based on the direction of gravity 40 relative to the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18. Is possible.

  Identifying the target vehicle 26 can be accomplished by the controller 12 by a number of processing methods. For example, the target vehicle 26 detects at least one feature 24 (e.g., the target headlamp 30) in the image data 33 and the headlamp 30 in successive images or image data received from the image sensor 20. Can be distinguished from non-target objects by identifying their movements. The detection of a vehicle similar to the target vehicle 26 discussed herein is described in Joseph S., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 799,310 (currently US Pat. No. 6,631,3, entitled “IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM TO CONTROL VEHICLE HEADLAMPS OR OTHER VEHIPLE EQUIIPMENT”, filed Mar. 5, 2001, by Stam et al.) Joseph S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,322 entitled “IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM TO CONTROL VEHICLE HEADLAMPS OR OTHER VEHICLE EQUIPEMENT”, filed Mar. 15, 2005, and Stam et al. It is further described in US Pat. No. 7,613,327 entitled “VEHICLE AUTOMATIC EXTERIOR LIGHT CONTROL”, filed Nov. 3, 2009, by Stam et al.

  As discussed herein, the controller 12 is configured to receive an acceleration signal or direction information from the inertial sensor 72. Based on the acceleration signal and / or direction information, the controller 12 may be configured to determine the direction of the host vehicle relative to the direction of gravity 40. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the host vehicle 18 is climbing up a hill 31. As the host vehicle climbs the hill 31, the inertial sensor 72 communicates the change in gravity direction Δ and / or direction information that matches the slope of the hill 31. This detection can be identified based on changes in the direction of gravity across multiple samples of acceleration data or direction data. In some embodiments, the controller 12 may be configured to receive a plurality of acceleration data samples for the first axis 42 and the second axis 44 of the accelerometer. Further, the detection can be identified based on a direction signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the gyroscope.

  In some embodiments, the direction of gravity across multiple samples can be averaged by the controller 12 to identify the direction of gravity. The average direction of gravity may correspond to a fully driving level of the host vehicle 18. The direction of gravity determined by the controller 12 may be saved and updated throughout the run to compensate for adjustment of the direction of the inertial sensor 72 relative to the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18. This may be particularly useful in embodiments that incorporate the inertial sensor 72 in the rear view display 36. Further, in some embodiments, various filtering and signal processing techniques may be utilized to improve the integrity and / or quality of one or more signals utilized to determine the direction of the host vehicle 18. Can be done.

  Once the direction of gravity and / or the direction of the host vehicle 18 is identified, a trend indicative of a change in the direction of gravity Δ can be detected based on movement in the direction of gravity that exceeds the filtering threshold. This change can be updated by the controller 12 for each image received from the image sensor 20. The filtering threshold may require movement in the direction of gravity to exceed the minimum slope value and / or maintain the slope change for a predetermined time. The filtering threshold may function to limit the effects of signal noise and bumps that would otherwise affect controller 12 performance.

  When the gravity direction Δ and / or the change in the direction of the host vehicle 18 is determined with respect to the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18, the horizontal line or base point 32 of the sensor data can 22 can be adjusted. For example, the base point 32 or horizontal line corresponding to the image data 33 from the image sensor 20 can be adjusted by a downward movement 46 based on a change in the gravitational direction Δ representing that the host vehicle 18 is going up the hill 31. The controller 12 can move the base point 32 of the image data 33 downward in response to the change of the gravity direction Δ moved toward the rear part of the host vehicle 18. In this way, the controller 12 is operable to search for at least one feature 24 of the target vehicle 26 within the adjusted processing window 34 in order to accurately detect the target vehicle 26. Once the target vehicle 26 is identified, the controller 12 adjusts the level or aim of the headlamp 16 to ensure that flashes emitted from the headlamp 16 do not disrupt the driver of the target vehicle 26, and so on. It is configured.

  The downward movement 46 of the base point 32 can be increased with respect to the degree or grade of the hill 31 by measuring the change in the gravity direction Δ. Adjusting the base point 32 may increase the accuracy and efficiency with which the controller 12 is operable to detect at least one feature 24 of the target vehicle 26. This increase (improvement) may be due to the controller 12 being operable in the approximate region of the field of view 22 where the target vehicle 26 may be located. The headlight system 14 adjusts the processing window 34 and / or base point 32 of the image data 33 relative to the field of view 22 to improve the detection of the target vehicle 26 by utilizing acceleration data.

  In some embodiments, the direction of the host vehicle 18 and / or the direction of gravity Δ may be used in any system for the host vehicle 18 that communicates with the controller 12. Such systems can include various visual and / or driver assistance systems, can incorporate image sensors, and / or can be configured to process image data. Such a system may utilize the gravity direction Δ with respect to the normal vector 38 and / or the direction of the host vehicle 18 to improve at least one of the object identification and / or search routines. Object identification and / or retrieval routines may be performed on the image data for identification of one or more features that may be captured in the image data. For example, the gravity direction Δ and / or the direction of the host vehicle 18 may be utilized by a lane departure warning system, a pedestrian / object detection system, a video display system, etc., and may include objects of interest associated with a particular system. A portion or region of image data that can be

  Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the host vehicle 18 and corresponding image data 50 are shown for the host vehicle 18 down the hill 52. As discussed herein, the controller 12 is operable to detect various features to identify the target vehicle 26. In this example, the controller 12 indicates that the taillight 54 of the target vehicle 26 is being detected. Based on the direction of the host vehicle 18 and the change in the direction of gravity Δ, the controller 12 applies an upward movement 56 of the processing window 34 and / or the origin 32 to focus on the relevant portion of the descending field of view 22. It is configured to As the host vehicle 18 moves down the hill 52, the inertial sensor 72 communicates changes in the direction of the host vehicle 18 and / or the direction of gravity due to the slope of the hill 52. This detection is specified based on a change in the direction of gravity and / or a change in rotational speed measured by the inertial sensor 72. The identification may be processed across multiple samples of directional data and / or acceleration data. For example, the acceleration data may be identified from measurements on the first axis 42 and the second axis 44 of the accelerometer. Although the first axis 42 and the second axis 44 are discussed with reference to an accelerometer, the accelerometer may include multiple axes. Further, in embodiments, a gyroscope may be utilized to measure direction information and / or direction of gravity with respect to the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18.

  Once a change in the direction of the host vehicle 18 and / or the direction of gravity relative to the normal vector 38 of the host vehicle 18 is determined, the horizontal or base point 32 of the sensor data can be adjusted by the upward movement 56. The upward movement may be based on a gravity direction Δ and / or a change in the direction of the host vehicle 18. For example, the controller 12 may move the base point 32 and / or the processing window 34 of the image data 50 upward in response to a change in the gravity direction Δ moved toward the front portion of the host vehicle 18. In this way, the controller 12 is operable to search for at least one feature 24 of the target vehicle 26 within the adjusted processing window 34 in order to efficiently and accurately detect the target vehicle 26.

  Referring again to FIG. 1A, the controller 12 may be operable to determine the speed of the host vehicle 18 from the acceleration signal to improve detection of the target vehicle 26. As discussed herein, the controller 12 may detect the target vehicle 26 based on the position of at least one feature 24 in the image data 50. The controller 12 is operable to detect the target vehicle 26 based on the relative position of the target vehicle 26 within a series of image data received from the image sensor 20. For example, if the target vehicle 26 is approaching the host vehicle 18, the target headlamp 30 of the target vehicle 26 may move along the expected path 62 in the series of images. The headlamp 30 may start at the central portion of the field 22 and move outside the field 22.

  In order to determine the expected rate of change in the position of the target headlamp 30, the controller 12 utilizes the vehicle speed to determine the change in position of the target headlamp 30 as can be determined from the accelerometer signal. The expected speed can be determined. By determining the expected speed of the change in the position of the target headlamp 30, it can be ensured that the light source corresponds to the approaching vehicle, and detection corresponding to the non-target light source can be avoided. By determining the speed of the host vehicle 18 based on accelerometer data, the controller 12 estimates the target vehicle 26 and at least one of the target headlamps 30 by estimating the expected behavior of the target headlamp 30, as discussed herein. It is operable to improve the accuracy of detection of feature 24.

  The estimated speed of the host vehicle 18 can be determined from the accelerometer 72 based on various operating conditions of the host vehicle 18. In the first operating condition, the controller 12 can determine whether or not the host vehicle 18 is stopped. Referring to FIG. 3A, a graphical representation 58 of the average accelerometer signal 60 represents vehicle deceleration 62, stop 64 and acceleration 66. The stop condition may be identified by an accelerometer signal having a small amount of noise below a predetermined threshold or noise motion threshold 68. As the host vehicle is down the road, the amount of background noise detected by the accelerometer signal 60 can rise above the noise-motion threshold so that the controller 12 is moving the host vehicle 18. Can be identified.

  The noise-motion threshold 68 may be determined based on the average difference in acceleration among successive data samples of the accelerometer. When this noise level (eg, acceleration signal 60) falls below the noise-motion threshold 68, it can be considered that the host vehicle 18 has stopped. The noise-motion threshold 68 may vary based on the type of vehicle and the various operating conditions of the vehicle. For example, the noise-motion threshold 68 may be updated based on an initial calibration of the noise-motion threshold for a particular vehicle. Also, the noise-motion threshold 68 can be updated or compensated for when starting and driving the host vehicle 18 to account for changes in vibration associated with the host vehicle 18 over time.

  As an additional operating state, the controller 12 may determine whether the host vehicle is accelerating or decelerating. Controller 12 may utilize the signal from the accelerometer to estimate the change in velocity by incorporating acceleration over time. The change in speed of the host vehicle 18 is determined based on the measured change in acceleration of the host vehicle 18 in a direction multiplied by the acceleration time. By measuring a plurality of accelerations of the host vehicle 18 in the direction in which the host vehicle 18 is traveling at a predetermined time interval and multiplying each acceleration by the time interval, the controller 12 adds the change in speed. It is operable to determine the speed of the host vehicle 18. This technique allows the host vehicle 18 speed to be determined when to accelerate or decelerate.

  In yet another operational state, the controller 12 is operable to determine the speed of the host vehicle 18 as the host vehicle 18 turns. When the host vehicle 18 turns right or left, the accelerometer may communicate acceleration or centripetal acceleration perpendicular to the forward driving direction of the host vehicle 18. In turning, the centripetal acceleration can be used in combination with the turn rate of the host vehicle 18 to determine the speed of the host vehicle 18.

  The speed of the host vehicle 18 when turning can be determined by the controller 12 dividing the centripetal acceleration of the host vehicle 18 by the angular velocity. The angular velocity of the host vehicle 18 can be measured by a direction detection device such as a magnetometer or a compass that communicates with the controller 12. The angular velocity can be determined by monitoring the compass heading direction received by the controller 12 from the compass over time. With the angular velocity, the controller 12 may determine the velocity of the host vehicle 18 by dividing the centripetal acceleration by the angular velocity of the host vehicle 18.

  Referring now to FIG. 3B, a graphical display 69 of an exemplary acceleration signal 70 of the accelerometer 72 is shown. The acceleration signal may correspond to the z-axis measurement value of the host vehicle 18. The controller 12 is further operable to determine the speed of the vehicle and / or to eliminate undetected data received from the accelerometer corresponding to one or more ridges or holes. The controller 12 may calculate the speed of the vehicle by monitoring a pair of similar spikes 71a and 71b accelerometer signals different from the average accelerometer signal 71c. The time 71d between spikes can be determined by the controller 12. Also, thereafter, the controller 12 can divide the length of the wheel base of the host vehicle 18 by the time 71d between acceleration spikes to determine the speed of the host vehicle 18. The controller removes (filters) spikes that occur in groupings that exceed pairs, and only uses pairs of spikes that correspond to a reasonable speed range, eg, 5 miles per hour to 90 miles per hour. be able to.

  Referring to FIG. 4, a block diagram of the controller 12 is shown. The image sensor 20 is in electrical communication with a controller 12 that includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive image data from the image sensor 20. The processor is configured to process an image corresponding to the image data to detect at least one feature 24. The processor may communicate with a memory configured to process image data and acceleration data, as discussed herein. The processor may be implemented using a microcontroller, microprocessor, digital signal processor, programmable logic device, discrete circuit, or any combination thereof. Further, the microprocessor can be implemented using more than one microprocessor.

  Controller 12 is shown communicating with inertial sensor 72, image sensor 20 and compass 74. Inertial sensor 72 may comprise a three-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, IMU, and various other devices operable to measure the direction and / or direction change of host vehicle 18. Inertial sensor 72 may be configured to measure in the range of approximately plus or minus 4 g with a resolution of about 16 bits. Further, the inertial sensor 72 can operate over a wide temperature range and has an effective sampling rate of about 25 Hz. As discussed herein, directional information and / or acceleration signals may include multiple signals that may correspond to each axis of the accelerometer and various additional directional information. Although specific performance characteristics corresponding to the inertial sensor 72 are discussed herein, various inertial sensors are subject to specific accuracy, operating parameters of the headlight system 14, and operating conditions / operating environment of the host vehicle 18. Can be used.

  The image sensor 20 can be of various types, such as a light sensor or an image sensor configured to detect light emitted from the light source of the target vehicle 26. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the target vehicle is an approaching motor vehicle and the light source corresponds to the target headlamp 30 of the target vehicle 26. Also, the light source or characteristic 24 identified by the controller 12 to detect the target vehicle 26 may include a taillight, a traveling light, or any other that identifies a characteristic corresponding to the target vehicle 26. .

  In some embodiments, the image sensor 20 can determine whether the vehicle is approaching or far away from the sensor, and / or such as a Doppler radar transceiver that can determine speed and distance, etc. It can be implemented as a radar sensor. In embodiments utilizing the image sensor 20, the controller 12 may further communicate with an ambient light sensor 76 that is configured to measure the level of ambient light. Based on the level of ambient light, the controller 12 is configured to select a threshold level and compare the level of light detected by the image sensor 20. In this manner, the controller 12 is operable to adjust the threshold level to improve identification of the target vehicle 26 under various ambient light conditions.

  The image sensor 20 may correspond to any form of image sensor or photosensor, such as, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). Image sensor 20 is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, U.S. Provisional Patent Applications 60/90058, 60/902728 and 61/008762. It may correspond to an imaging device disclosed in SMART BEAM light control system manufactured by Gentex Corporation, described in published 2008/0192132, 2009/0160987 and 2009/0190015, and US patent application Ser. No. 12/082215. In addition, a detailed description of such a motor vehicle exterior light control system can be found in US Pat. No. 5,837,994, US Pat. No. 5,990,469, US Pat. No. 6, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. , 008,486, US Pat. No. 6,130,421, US Pat. No. 6,049,171, US Pat. No. 6,465,963, US Pat. No. 6,403,942,6, US Pat. No. 587,573, US Pat. No. 6,611,610, US Pat.No. 6,621,616, US Pat.No. 6,631,316, US Pat.No. 6,774,988 and US Pat. 861,809, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/02014183, and U.S. Provisional Applications Nos. 60 / 404,879 and 60 / 394,583, the disclosures of which are also incorporated herein by reference. Which is incorporated herein in its entirety. U.S. Provisional Applications 60 / 780,655 and 60 / 804,351 and U.S. Patent Publications 2008/0068520 and 2009/0096937, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, also describe various displays for use with the present invention. doing. The entire disclosure of each of these applications is also incorporated herein by reference.

  The compass 74 may be implemented as any device operable to determine the absolute or relative direction of the host vehicle 18, such as a magnetometer, or the compass heading direction, for example. In order to assist in detecting the target vehicle 26, the controller 12 may further utilize various input signals corresponding to the operating state of the host vehicle 18. A speed input 78 may be utilized to provide the controller 12 with vehicle speed information. In addition to the image data received from the image sensor 20, the velocity input 78 can be utilized by the controller 12 to identify or identify among non-target objects and target vehicles (eg, target vehicle 26).

  In response to detection of the target vehicle 26, the controller 12 may be configured to control the headlamp driver 80. The headlamp driving unit 80 is configured to control the low beam headlamp and the high beam headlamp of the host vehicle 18. The controller 12 may be configured to output signals to various vehicle systems, such as, for example, a driver assistance system, to identify detection of at least one object or target feature in the image data. In this manner, the controller 12 is operable to control various vehicle systems to improve vehicle operation. At least one embodiment of headlight control system 14 is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6, entitled “CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE HEADLAMP CONTROL” by Joseph Stam et al. 049,171.

  It will be understood that any described process or procedure within the described process may be combined with other described processes or procedures to form a structure within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.

  In addition, modifications and changes can be made to the structure and method described above without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure, and such concepts are explicitly defined in language in the claims. It should be understood that, except in some cases, it is intended to be covered by the following claims.

  The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiment only. Variations of the device will occur to those skilled in the art and the producer or user of the device. Accordingly, the embodiments shown in the drawings and description above are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the apparatus, which is subject to patent law, including doctrine of equivalents. It will be understood that the following claims are to be construed in accordance with the principles.

Claims (15)

An image sensor configured to capture image data corresponding to a field of view;
A controller in communication with the image sensor;
An inertial sensor in communication with the controller;
An apparatus configured to adjust a processing function of image data for a vehicle control system comprising:
The controller is
Receiving image data from the image sensor;
Receiving a signal corresponding to the direction of the host vehicle from the inertial sensor;
Activating a function configured to scan the image data for at least one feature of the target vehicle;
Offset the origin of the field of view of the image data to generate an adjusted origin in response to the acceleration signal;
An apparatus operable to utilize the adjusted base point to identify the feature in the image data.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the field of view corresponds to a region in a forward direction with respect to the host vehicle.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one feature corresponds to light emission caused by at least one of a headlight and a taillight of a target vehicle.   The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the controller is further operable to process the function using the adjusted base point to identify the characteristic of the target vehicle. .   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjusted base point is determined based on the direction change of the host vehicle as determined from the signal.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning of the image data includes filtering objects corresponding to non-target objects based on the adjusted base point. An image sensor configured to capture image data corresponding to a field of view;
A controller in communication with the image sensor;
An inertial sensor configured to communicate a signal with the controller;
An apparatus configured to adjust a processing function of image data for a vehicle control system comprising:
The controller is
Receiving image data from the image sensor;
Receiving the direction of the host vehicle from the inertial sensor;
Activating a function configured to scan the image data for at least one feature of the target vehicle;
Calculating the speed of the vehicle from the signal,
Utilizing the speed to configure at least one function to determine a motion speed of at least one feature in the image data;
A device characterized in that it is operable.   The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller communicates with a direction detection device operable to detect a direction of travel of the vehicle.   9. The device according to any one of claims 7 to 8, wherein the direction detection device comprises one of a magnetometer, a compass, and any suitable direction detection device.   10. The speed of the vehicle is determined by incorporating the signal over time in response to a direction of travel that identifies the vehicle as moving in a significantly straight lane. The device described in 1.   A centripetal acceleration component of the signal is divided by an angular velocity calculated from the direction of travel to determine the speed of the vehicle in response to the direction of travel identifying that the vehicle is turning. The device according to any one of claims 7 to 10.   12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the acceleration signal is compared to a predetermined noise-motion threshold to determine that the vehicle is stopped.   13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the signal is compared to an average of the signal to determine a plurality of signal spikes corresponding to the number of axes of the vehicle.   The distance between two axles of the vehicle is divided by the time difference between the plurality of signal spikes to calculate the speed of the vehicle. apparatus.   15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein the target vehicle characteristic corresponds to at least one of a headlight and a taillight of the target vehicle.

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